St. Patty's Pics...A Little Late

Being the self-proclaimed mediocre mom that I am, these photos are late. She also only wore green to bed as her one green dress was in the dirty laundry. Oops!

 

Isla, you are so much fun to photograph. Typically you're all smiles, but I let you play with felt shamrocks and you were so intent on picking them all up and crawling around your room. If one dropped, you were hell bent on recovering it. These shamrocks kept you entertained for over an hour! Ah, the little things :)

 

And an outtake...You missed one, baby girl <3

 



Mama + Baby Skincare Routine

I love skincare and beauty products. I spend more of my monthly shopping budget in this category than any other. My husband? Not so much. He's happy with H&S and Irish Spring. Eww. My brother shares my love of products. When I visit, I know I'll be well covered for shampoo + conditioner :) I have double the fun shopping for skincare products now that Isla is here. I do a fair amount testing and research before I purchase a new product and would never recommend something I haven't tried and loved. Here is my current and most loved skincare routine:

Cleanse: Eye make-up remover - Face Wash - PM Exfoliator - AM Exfoliator - Mia Brush - Toner - AM Spot Treatment - PM Retinol - Dark Spot Corrector - PM Eye Cream - AM Moisturizer - PM Moisturizer

I can't say enough good things about Philosophy. I have pretty much tried their entire line and have loved almost all of the products at different stages over the years. Their acne line partnered with the Vitamin C Serum by Kiehl's saved my sanity. I do not like their eye makeup remove or face primers. However, I have five of their 3-in-1's in rotating use right now. I might have a problem. Oh, and their lip gloss? Gorgeous and glossy!

Mary Kay's eye make-up remover is very gently and non-irritating. I have tried others from Lancome, Philosophy, Clinique, Sephora, Drugstore...You name it. This one is by far my go to fave.

I just recently discovered my love of Mario Badescu and this whitening mask does in two weeks what other dark spot correctors can't do in 8 weeks. I went through a 3 year phase of adult acne and I have a few spots left over to remind me. Yay! This mask has almost banished them in the 3 times I've used it in the past two weeks.

Atralin is a RX Retin-A product that I use every morning with sunscreen for one week a month. You can guess which week that is. La Roche Posay makes a decent tretinoin product, but this RX is cheaper with insurance :)

Now time for baby skincare. I of course am far less adventurous when it comes to my babyboo's skin. Here is what I'm currently loving (minus the Honest Co. Wash as it was in the other bathroom from when we went tub swimming on Sunday)

Noodle & Boo is my fave not only because of the name, but the SCENT is AMAZING! If you buy ONE skincare product in the next month for your little one, buy this lotion. You'll be happy you spent $18 on baby lotion. Promise.

I use this soap for when she has cradle cap or dry skin. She doesn't get it as much now that she's older, but it comes back here and there. If it gets especially bad, I spray an oil mist in my hands and pat her scalp. I had the J&J pictured, but it is almost gone. I'll replace it with this one soon.

I love the smell of lavender and she gets washed in this when we feel she needs an extra smack of calm before bedtime.

We have been very lucky with diaper rash. She has never had it! Sometimes her little biscuits get slightly red (maybe 6x in her 15 months of life) and when it is, I use a little of this triple paste and it is gone by the time of her next diaper change.

Sunscreen requires an entire post and I'll share that soon. I'm very picky about mine and Isla's sunscreen. If you live in Florida, you have to be!

XO

Isla at 14 months

Baby boo, you are 14 months old! We can hardly believe it. You grow and change a little each day. You are full of personality and very stubborn. You shake your head when you don't want something and you make the most annoying sound when you do want something. You demand to hold the phone when we Facetime with Mimi and then you hold it to your ear and say "aaaaoooo" (hello). It breaks our heart when you aren't ready to leave your friends at the gym's Kids Club and arch your back and buck out of our arms. Your stubbornness is forgiven the moment you give us a hug. You give the BEST hugs. You wrap your little arms around us and then open and close your fists - so cute! When you feel you aren't close enough, you start climbing up like a little monkey, and mommy loves monkeys!

Favorite Foods: Strawberry Pop Tarts, Mandarin Oranges, Meatballs, and Lasagna. You also still love dog food. You fill up your little cheeks with fistfuls of the stuff every time I turn my back. Gross, Isla, just gross. Here’s a pick of you enjoying your first ham croquette, you little Cuban you.

New Tricks: Wave bye bye on command…FINALLY!  You have also learned how to take off your clothes during nap and bed times. One morning, daddy and I heard you on the monitor and I took a quick peek to ensure you were up and did a double take…WTF?! Is she jumping up and down in her crib BUTT NAKED? Yes, yes you were. You crack us up daily. Here’s a couple pics of the time you decided to undress, but keep on your diaper J

Walking - You can climb on the coffee table like a boss, climb into your toy box like a ninja, and worm your way into the laundry basket under the clothes, BUT YOU WILL NOT WALK. You have no interest. Daddy tries to ‘practice with you,’ but really he just pulls on your little arms while your legs dangle limply in the air. No rush, baby girl, no rush J

Teeth – You started cutting a molar (maybe two) and you have an almost constant low fever and bad attitude… After much debate, we decided to keep you.

Loves – You love your Gertie! Every time we call her name you squeal with delight! You’re still the only one she routinely kisses and you share every snack with her. Her faves? Your cheerios, pancake bites, and chicken bites.

You also love your Boppy. You lay in it like a recliner and watch The Today Show. If a song comes on, you sit up and dance! Shake it mama!

Bath time is still your favorite time of the day. Daddy handles most of your baths and he plays Pandora Hip Hop Hits for you. You sing and dance happily until it is time to get out and get dressed. You lose your shit the moment he lays you down to dress you. Our secret to calm you down is to brush your teeth. You absolutely love to have your teeth brushed. I don’t know if it is the flavored tooth paste or if it is the pure joy you get from inflicting great pain on my finger by biting down as hard as you can. You have a little evil in you…we all do. 

Swimming – You love the water more and more with each trip to the pool. Your favorite pool activity is climbing out of the pool. You no longer tolerate your float; instead you prefer to play on the steps and free swim with us holding just your waist. We bought you a new floaty, and you’ll soon be big enough to swim in it on your own. You’re such a little fish!

You are growing and changing so much. Every month, Daddy and I agree that this is our favorite month. I wish I could freeze time and just hold your little hand and kiss your sweet neck. As much as I will miss these days, I look forward to meeting the little girl you become. I love you , Islaboo

A walk down memory lane and MY FIRST GIVEAWAY!

Ahhh, St. Patty's Day. I'm sure we all have our stories. When I think back on some of my favorite St. Patty's  Day memories, I both smile and throw up in my mouth.

Flashback to St. Patty's day 2011: I was on a work trip to Chicago the two nights prior to St. Patty's Day. The last night in Chicago, my colleagues and I decided to order food from three different places. We ordered a Chicago style pizza, pad thai, and I can't remember the third. I voted for pizza because, I personally think pad thai tastes like a wet dog smells. You feel me? Do you ever equate the taste of one thing to the smell of another? I do. I think milk duds taste like the smell of a department store. Anyhoo, I decided to try the pad thai and it blew. my. mind. I loved it! I couldn't get enough of it! I ate and ate and ate...

Fast forward 24 hours. It was a Thursday and it was St. Patty's Day. My forever boo and I had plans to meet a former colleague in town on business for drinks at Bar Louie. Let's call him Mr. Grey Goose - partly because that is what he insists you take shots of and mainly because that was the title of his match.com dating profile. You can laugh. I laughed. Victor laughed. We still laugh.

We proceeded to take so many shots of Grey Goose, I literally crawled to the car. I don't know how I got home that night. I lie. I do know. I drove. Judge me now, but know I am much more responsible these days. These days, living downtown, I can crawl home instead of crawling to the car. The forever boo decided to stay and throw back a few more shots because Mr. Grey Goose still had some charge in his battery.

So I make it into my house and fall into bed. Within seconds I was sick. SO SICK! There are a few things that happen when I get that sick...

1. I throw up repeatedly

2. I piss on the floor

3. I strip down naked...because I piss on the floor

4. I curl into a ball and hug my knees all while crying out for my mommy

5. Repeat 1 - 4 at least twice

So this time, I was repeating steps 1 - 4 more than a few times. My boo finally made it home and promptly passed out. Apparently he was completely oblivious to the naked, piss soaked, puke smelling love his life curled into a ball at the foot of the bed screaming for her mommy.

By morning, I realized, I wasn't just drunk. I HAD FOOD POISONING from that delicious pad thai! I suppose I only like bacteria infested, salmonella breeding pad thai. Go figure. My suspicions were confirmed Monday at work, when the two colleagues from my trip also called in sick the day after St. Patty's.

So there it is. My most memorable St. Patty's Day. What's yours?

Share your fave moment with me in the comments section to be entered to win these adorable Best of Luck sterling silver mismatched stud earrings from Chloe + Isabel. You certainly deserve a raffle after getting through that :) In the words of Jimmy Buffett, "With a little love and luck, you will get by"

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